Homecoming - Chapter Twelve

Kaori jingled the keys in her pocket, feeling both drained and wired. Coupled with the almost nauseating worry and debilitating fear for her daughter, she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink.

Which was good, since she might have a concussion—she took off from the hospital before the doctors could get to her—and she could put her insomnia to good use in trying to find out what Kuroda wanted with Noemi.

There was no chance in hell the bastard harbored any fatherly feelings toward the girl he had a minor hand in creating. There was something else afoot.

She went to insert the key in the lock, but Ryo’s restraining hand on her arm stopped her.

They hadn’t spoken since he’d offered to take her home. There wasn’t anything else to say, really. She’d told them everything; she felt like her insides were scraped raw.

“Something’s off,” he murmured, eyeing the front door to her apartment with suspicion.

When it came to gut instinct, there was no one better. If he thought there was something off, there was something off.

He leaned his elbow on the handle...and the door swung open.

Revealing devastation.

Every piece of furniture that could be flipped open had been, with the sofa cushions strewn around the living room.

Kaori gasped and charged in, shrugging Ryo off as he tried to stop her.

What used to be Noemi’s bedroom was barren. There were no toys, no clothes, and her toiletries were gone from the bathroom. It was as if Noemi had never been there.

Her own bedroom had been ransacked, too. She knew what they’d been looking for. The safe. Which was open and unused in the hallway closet, with her and Noemi’s passports safely tucked in the false bottom of her purse.

“Grab your things,” Ryo said from behind her. “You’re not staying here tonight.”

“What about—Shouldn’t I call the police? This is a rental.”

“Don’t worry about it. You just pack.” He pulled his cellphone out of his jacket pocket and went into the living room. “Hey, man,” she heard him greet whoever was on the other side of the line. “I need a favor.”

Kaori’s mouth wobbled as she swallowed her tears. Even after all these years of radio silence, even after she’d thrown him out of her apartment not so long ago...No matter what, Ryo was helping her, taking care of things so the only thing she had to worry about was her daughter. Was it any wonder she still—

She shook her head to disperse the thought. Now was neither the time nor the place.

She pulled her roller duffle from under the bed and did as she was told.

X Y Z

Ryo unlocked the door to his penthouse apartment and moved aside to let her in. As she stepped over the threshold, something moved inside his chest, as if a part of him that had been painfully askew for a long time snapped back into place.

After seven long years, Makimura Kaori was once more under his roof.

“Nice,” she murmured, looking around, out through the panoramic windows of his living room. “Living must be good.”

“Can’t complain,” he replied, playing with his keys. He didn’t want to leave. He didn’t want to leave her alone. Not so soon...But he knew he had to. They had to find Kuroda. And Noemi. “Look, I have to go. Will you be okay?”

Her eyes were enormous. “Where are you going?”

He sighed. “Back to the office. Mick and Umi are getting the team together. We have to find the bastard.”

“Why not go to the police?” Then she chuckled and shook her head. “Silly question, I know. He probably has half of the force in his pocket. Besides, he’s her biological father, the DNA could prove it. I’m nothing.”

Ryo spat out a curse and strode to her. Before she could back up—did she think he might hurt her; he’d kill himself first—he cupped her face in his hands. “You’re not nothing. You’re her mother, he’s just the sperm donor. You raised her, you took care of her, and you have all the rights in the world compared to him.” He brushed his thumbs against her cheeks. “But you’re right. Who knows who he’s bribed? Not only cops, but other officials as well, so we’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way.” He grinned, feeling his heart pick up the pace in anticipation. He hasn’t felt this alive since...

Since she left.

“I don’t want you to do it the old-fashioned way, Ryo.”

He let her go and took a step back. Blinked. “Excuse me?”

She shook her head. “Miki told me...about what happened.”

He crossed his hand over his chest. “Elaborate. Many things happened.”

“The man you shot,” she whispered, eyes swimming with tears.

That old wound that has never healed and never will contracted painfully. “You mean the innocent man I killed.”

Kaori nodded. “Miki told me you hadn’t held a gun or taken a single shot since that day. I don’t want to be the one to make you go back to that.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I’m so sorry, Ryo.”

He shook his head. “You won’t. It’s worth it. And you have nothing to be sorry about. It wasn’t your fault.” He smiled sheepishly at her. “Though at first I tried to blame you.”

She wiped away her tears. “Me?”

A corner of his mouth curled at the bitter memory. “Yeah. I wouldn’t have been so drunk if you were there, if you had stayed. But you weren’t there. You left. So it was easy to blame you, while it was me all along. I got blind drunk that day. And all the days before and after, for that matter. I took that shot. I pushed you away until you had no choice but to leave. It was all on me.”

She blinked, her expression puzzled. “I don’t understand. What has my leaving got to do with anything?”

“I loved you, Kaori.”

Succinct. To the point. Simple. The truth.

Finally.

Three simple words that hadn’t a hope in the world of conveying what he truly felt for her then. What he still felt for her now. Always will. There was no past tense when it came to his feelings for her.

Her mouth dropped open, but her eyes shuttered. And Ryo was glad he’d used the past tense. Because it was clear she didn’t feel the same. At least not anymore. There was no point in getting his heart broken even more than it already was.

“Right.” It came out as a croak, so he cleared his throat. “I have to go find the bad guy. You get some rest. I’ll bring Noemi back to you, I promise.” And he almost ran to the door.

“Ryo...” Her soft voice stopped him just as he was about to walk out. “I loved you, too, you know.”

Past tense. As he knew it would be. Another piece of his already battered heart chipped away.

“If you need something, you have my number. Don’t do anything stupid,” he ordered and left. He had work to do.